Suction cleaner



Dec. 26, 1939.

C. G. TROXLER SUCTION CLEANER Filed March 18, 1958 INVENTOR Charles G. TroXleI' Y ATTORNEY Patented Dec. i26, 1939 antics SUCTION CLEANER Charles G. Troxler, North Canton, Ohio, assignor to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio t Application March' 1s, 193s, serial No. 196,661

s claims., (ci. :is- 13) The present invention relates to suction cleaners in general and particularly to new and novel improvements in dirt-traps for demonstrating the cleaning eiectiveness of suction cleaners.

In merchandising suction cleaners it is necessary to demonstrate to the prospective purchaser the cleaning eiectiveness of the cleaner. The method now practiced is to operate the' cleaner over a dirty floor covering, and observe the cleani0 er pick up the dirt therefrom. In order to convince the purchaser of the amount of dirt removed from the rug it is necessary to remove the cleaner bag and empty the dirt from the bag. Removing and emptying the bag is a disagreeable and dusty operation.

The purpose of this invention is to eliminate these and other disadvantages by providing a demonstration dirt trap which is a'n accessory for the cleaner and functions without the cleaner bag.

In using my invention the usual cleaner bag is removed from the cleaner exhaust and the accessory is attached thereto. The accessory is so constructed as to provide a iilter member and an observation glass which are disposed in spaced parallel relation at the rear end of the cleaner, whereby the prospective purchaser can operate the cleaner and observe the dirt laden air swirling Within the dirt trap and notice the dirt accumulating in a mass in the dirt trap. Accordingly,

the prospective purchaser' visually observes the accumulation of dirt in the accessory, without the necessity of removing the dirt from a cleaner bag to determine the cleaning effectiveness and the amount of dirt removed from the iloor coverlng.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a new and improved accessory to be used with suction cleaners. Another object is to provide a new and improved demonstration dirt trap adapted to be used on suction cleaners, exclusive of the usual cleaner dirt bag. A further object is the provision of a dirt trap adapted for use as an accessory to suction cleaners, and embody- 'ing an easily removable air lter. Another object -of the invention is the provision of an accessory dirt trap for suction cleaners and which embodies a window and an air lter disposed in spaced parallel relation whereby the observer can watch the foreign matter accumulate as the suction cleaner is moved over the oor covering being cleaned. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the specification and drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a rear perspective view of a sucu tion cleaner showing the cleaner iilter bag removed and the demonstration dirt trap attached to the exhaust of thecleaner; y

Figure 2 is a sectional view through the center of the dirt trap, and

Figure 3 is a top plan view partly in section of 5 the' dirt trap. y

The embodiment ofthe invention herein dis closed comprises a suction cleaner I0, provided with casing I5 having a nozzle H communicating with an unshown fan chamber connected to an 10 exhaust passageway I6 discharging into the usual dust bag, not shown, which is removably supported on a ange i4 at the rear of the cleaner casing. A motor housing l2 is removably secured to the casing l5 by means of a spring i3 rigidly 15 attached to the flange I4, and the housing l2 encloses an unshown motor for driving an un shown fan to create suction to draw dirt-laden air from the surface being cleaned through the nozzle Il and discharge theksame through the ex- 2'0 haust passageway l5. kSuitable wheels l1, only one of which is shown, support the cleaner casing, and the cleaner is propelled over the floor covering by means of a handle I9 which is held in different positions with respect to the cleaner by u means of a foot operated mechanism the foot pedal IB of which is shown.

' lThe demonstration dirt trap comprises4 a casting 20 provided with a vertical side wall 2| terminating at its lower edgeinto an inwardly extendingb'ottom ange 22, and projecting from the side wall is a rectangular portion 25 'merging into an annular ange 26 provided with oppositely disposed hook-like projections 2l, 2l which are adapted to be disposed about a pair of clamping 85 screws 28, 28 to detachably secure'the dirt trap to the flange i4 at the discharge end of the cleaner, the clamping screws 28, 28 normally securing the lower end of the usual cleaner lter bag to the exhaust outlet; The ange 26 is provided with an annular recess 29 in which is disposedi a sealing gasket 30 to provide an air-tight seal between the exhaust ilange il and the dirt trap ange 26.

A closure plate 33 is pivotally secured, by means 45 of a hinge and pin construction 34, to the bottom of the casting 20 and is normally locked in closed position by means of a latch spring 35 mounted on the cover 33 and which is adapted to engage a pin 36 projecting from the side wall of 50 the dirt trap casing. 'I'he cover 33 is provided with a circular opening 31 of vless diameter than the opening @8 in the casing ybottom wall 22, and the deiining edge of the opening 31 is rabbeted, as shown at 39, for the rigid reception of a metal disc 40 provided with@ plurality ofholes 4l, the disc forming part of the cover 33. Removably disposed between the bottom wall 22 of the casing 20 and the cover 33 is a ltering member i2 such.

as lintine, or similar ltering material, which is supported by the perforated member 40 and is clamped in place'when the cover 33 is locked to the casing 20. An annular sealing gasket 43 ls disposed in a recess 44 of the cover 33 to provide an air tight seal between the casing bottom wall 22, the filter 42 and the cover 33.

The dirt trap casing is provided at its top with an annular shoulder 45 for the reception of an annular gasket 46 and an observation glass 41, and which are held in position by means of a spring retaining member 48 removably disposed in an annular recess 49. The observation glass 4'! -is parallel to and is spaced from the -lltering In order to demonstrate the cleaning eiectiveness of the cleaner the usual suction cleaner filter bag is removed and the accessory dirt trap is attached to the exhaust of the cleaner by manipulating the clamping screws 28, thereby placing the discharge passageway I6 and the dirt collecting chamber 50 in air tight communication. The motor is energized and rotates the fan which creates suction, and as the cleaner is propelled along the iioor covering the dirt laden air is drawn through the nozzle Il and is discharged through the exhaust passageway i6 into the dirt collecting chamber t.

Foreign matter will collect in the dirt chamber 5U and the air will pass through the fllter member 42 and through the holes 4l in the perforated disc 40 to the atmosphere. All foreign matter is removed from the air as it passes through the filter member 42 so that only clean air is discharged into the atmosphere. As the foreign matter is discharged into the demonstrating dirt chamber 5G it collects into a mass as shown at 55 in Figure l. This ball of dirt is rotated around the dirt chamber 5G due to the tangential discharge of the dirt laden air into the dirt chamber. And as the -ball of foreign matter rotates it collects the dirt in the dirt laden air and gradually becomes larger. The window di being parallel to the filter member 42, makes it possible for the observer to watch the accumulation of the foreign matter in the dirt collecting chamber. In fact, a salesman need not operate the machine, due to the provision of the dirt trap at the rear of the machine and the horizontal disposition of the window dla' and the filtering member 32, the prospective purchaser can propel the machine over the ioor covering and at the same time observe through the window il the accumulation of foreign matter in the dirt collecting chamber. All of the dirt removed from the floor covering is collected and remains in full View within the dirt collecting chamber 5d.

After the cleaning operation the dirt trapaccessory. is disconnected from the cleaner., and

the spring latch 35 released to open the cover 33. The mass of foreign matter 55 is then easily displaced, and the ltering member 42 is removed by grasping an exposed clean corner portion 56. The part of the nlter exposedv to the dirt laden air will be covered on one side with adeposit of foreign material, clear evidence, in addition to the mass 55 of foreign material of the amount of dirt which has been removed by operating the suction cleaner. A clean filter is used for each demonstration.

It is `to be understood that the device functions wlthout the usual dust filtering bag, and does not take the place of the latter, in the normal every-day useof the cleaner. The device is an accessory for the purpose o'f determining and observing the cleaning effectiveness of the cleaner, and the observing of the progressive accumulation of all the foreign matter as the fioor covering is being cleaned. If desired the interior of the dirt collecting chamber' may be given a coat of white paint or provided with a suitable electric lamp to illuminate the dirt chamber.

I claim:

vl. A demonstration dirt-trap for a suction cleaner comprising an air passageway, an air y permeable dirt lter in said passageway to remove foreign material from air passing therethrough, and a Window disposed substantially parallel to the ltering area of said lter to permit observation of foreign material collected thereon.

2. An accessory for demonstrating the cleaning eiectiveness of a suction cleaner comprising, a casing member having a dirt chamber and provided with means adapted to detachably secure it to the exhaust of the suction cleaner in place of the usual cleaner filter bag, an air permeable dirt filter to remove foreign material from air passing through said casing, and a window mounted on said casing to permitl observa- -tion of the foreign material removed from the surface undergoing cleaning and accumulating in said dirt chamber.

3. An accessory for demonstrating the cleaning effectiveness of a suction cleaner comprising, a casing member having a dirt chamber and provided with means adapted to detachably secure it to the exhaust of the suction cleaner in place of the usual filter bag, an air permeable dirt filter to remove foreign material from air passing through said casing, and a window mounted on said casing and disposed substan tially parallel to and spaced from said filter to permit observation of the foreign material removed from the surface undergoing cleaning and accumulating in said dirt chamber.

4. An accessory for demonstrating the cleaning effectiveness of a suction cleaner comprising, a casing deflning an air passageway having an inlet and a discharge normal with respect to each other, means for detachably connecting said casing to the exhaust of the suction cleaner to cause dirt-laden air to pass into said passageway, lter means carried by said casing in said discharge outlet, said filter means cooperating with said casing to define a dirt chamber and having a- 5. An accessory for demonstrating the cleaning effectiveness of a suction cleaner comprising, a casing havinglan air passageway and adapted to be detachably secured to the exhaust of the suction cleaner to cause dirt-laden air to pass into said passageway, lter means at the bottom of said casing cooperating with the latter to dene a dirt chamber and having portions exposed to the outer atmosphere for escape of ltered air, a window arranged in the top wall of said casing and parallel with respect to said filter means whereby the operator of the suction cleaner observes the accumulation of foreign material on said filter means and in said dirt chamber as said suction cleaner is moved over the surface being cleaned.

6. An accessory for demonstrating the cleaning effectiveness of a suction cleaner comprising, a casing having an air passageway and adapted to be detachably secured to the exhaust of the suction cleaner to cause dirt-laden air to pass into said passageway, filter means at the bottom of said casing cooperating with the latter to define a dirt chamber and exposed to the outer atmosphere for the escape of filtered air, a window carried by said-casing and in spaced parallel relation to said filter means, whereby the operator of the suction cleaner observes the accumulation of foreign material on said lter means and in said dirt chamber as the suction cleaner is moved over the surface being cleaned, and means movable with respect to said casing to permit removal of the accumulated foreign material in said dirt chamber and for removably securing said filter means in said air passageway.

' 7. An accessory for determining the cleaning eiectiveness of a suction cleaner comprising, a casing having an air passageway and adapted to be connected to suction creating means,1ter means in said passageway and disposed in a wall of said casing and cooperating with the latter to define a dirt collection chamber, said lter means removing foreign material from said dirt-laden air and retaining the same in said dirt chamber, and a. window carried by an oppo-site casing wall above and substantially parallel to said lter means for observing the accumulation of foreign material-on said filtermeans and in said dirt chamber as said suction cleaner is moved over the surface being cleaned.

8. A demonstration dirt-trap for a suction cleaner comprising, a casing defining an air passageway and having an inlet and an outlet normal to each other, said inlet of said casing being adapted to be connected to the suction creating means, a lter in said casing across said outlet to remove foreign material from air passing through said casing, and a window carried by said casing to permit observation of the foreign cleaning and accumulating in said dirt chamber.

CHARLES G. TROXLERv 

